Individual Rights - Guns and Equal Protection

Posted Mar 11, 2010 by Bill Johnson | Comments ( 2 ) | Filed in: Tags:

Bill Johnson for United States Senate

January 13, 2010

 

ELKTON —Kentucky GOP Senate Candidate Bill Johnson today issued the following statement regarding how the Constitution applies to two core conservative values: The rights to life and gun ownership.

“The Gun Owners of America organization has reportedly endorsed Rand Paul and cited 'respect for our Constitutional freedoms' in the announcement.  The organization is a long time supporter of the elder Ron Paul.

“As an active gun owner and enthusiast, I share the Pauls' view that we must protect our right to gun ownership.  However, Mr. Paul has made it clear that while gun owners deserve federal protection against infringement of their Second Amendment rights, unborn persons should not have federal right to equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment. Instead, Paul would let the states decide if the unborn have individual rights to equal protection.  The states would decide the issue of (abortion) (1) (2).

“The moment we let the states decide on one individual right, we put all individual rights in danger.  To illustrate the danger, imagine if the opposite case were made by the gun control crowd, that unborn persons had the right to equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment but we let the states decide if our Second Amendment right to gun ownership applies to individuals.  Would that be acceptable? 

“In an age when gun control proponents are seeking every possible loophole to infringe upon the rights of individuals to keep and bear arms, those who value the Second Amendment would do well to consider the Fourteenth Amendment as equally important.  If the methodology of the Pauls' so-called "Sanctity of Life Act" were applied to gun ownership, states would be allowed to decide whether or not to ban guns.  The bottom line is that the only acceptable position is for the federal government to protect all individual rights as stated in the Constitution.

“Kentuckians should be wary of any person running for office who holds an inconsistent position about our individual rights.  I am in agreement with the position of the National Rifle Association that the Fourteenth Amendment supports the Second Amendment by offering an additional guarantee that the right to bear arms is an 'individual' right and that it cannot be infringed upon by state legislatures.”

 1: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2247874/posts

2: http://kentuckybill.com/page/authentic-prolife-position

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2 Comment(s)

  1. Posted by Kim Hamlin on Jan 30, 2010
    Bill, you're the only candidate that makes sense on this issue and the only with the integrity to say so. It's just one of the many reasons I decided you should be the one to fill Bunning's vacated seat. I became interested in politics because of Bill Clinton, but wanting to vote for you encouraged me to change my party affiliation. I am a veteran also and took my oath seriously when I swore to defend the Constitution. I think a vote for you will be another way of doing just that. Thank you for your service!
  2. Posted by AngelaTC on Feb 14, 2010
    So, instead of actually talking about gun rights, your gun rights page serves as a page talking about abortion. How bizarre. And nowhere do you mention that while you pretend to be the prolife candidate, you're against overturning Roe v Wade?